The new Can Tho Bridge will facilitate development of the Mekong Delta region as a whole, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Friday, calling for the project’s completion on schedule in March.

The bridge on the Hau River is expected to be completed by the end of March and officially opened to traffic on April 30, the National Reunification Day.

Southeast Asia’s longest cable-stayed bridge will link Can Tho City with Vinh Long Province, cutting travel time by more than 30 minutes compared with using ferries.

Construction of the US$342 million project began in September 2004 with aid from Japan.

A section of the bridge collapsed during construction in September 2007, killing 54 people and injuring 80. The project was delayed following the accident and could not meet its original deadline of December 14, 2008.

VietNamNet/TN

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